


Halloween Hijinks

by a1_kitkat



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Bar Fight, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, M/M, Missed Opportunity, Not Beta Read, Party, michael and Kyle both crushing on Alex, working up courage to admit feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 12:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21253571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: Michael and Kyle show up at the same party in costumes they believe will entice Alex but end up fighting for the oblivious Alex’s affection





	Halloween Hijinks

Kyle checked his reflection in the mirror one last time; he felt ridiculous in this costume but there was a story behind it and a specific reason for it too.

Tonight was the night he planned to make his move. Alex Manes was single and had been long enough but Kyle  _ knew  _ it wouldn’t last. Alex was too desirable to stay single, he was already shocked no one had swooped in… and by no one, he meant Michael Guerin.

Kyle knew they had an intense history but that’s all it was; history. Alex had insisted it was over but there was always a question mark in his statement. He couldn’t help thinking a part of Alex would always love Michael.

But it was time Alex learned of Kyle’s feelings for him. The doctor had spent the past several months pining for his friend and had vowed to tell him by Halloween.

Today was his deadline and he was about to head to a party at the Wild Pony. Hopefully once he got some alcohol into him he’d have enough courage to make a move.

He pulled a face in the mirror then laughed as he adjusted the collar of his leather jacket. So he didn’t exactly look like an obvious costume but took a breath and stood tall. The only thing that mattered was that Alex got it. He grabbed his keys and headed for the door.

***

Michael was standing in the living room of Isobel’s home, examining his reflection in the full sized mirror. She stood beside him, also checking him out and looking like she was trying not to laugh.

“Out with it, Is” Michael said as he looked for his jacket.

“You look… good” she said “I mean, you look ridiculous but in a good way”

“Well no one asked you”

“I trust there’s a reason behind it?”

“Of course”

“Are you going to tell me?”

He turned around and looked at her, watched as she played with his top hat.

“I’m just… this is a recent movie and I didn’t even know you watched movies” she continued.

“I don’t… not really” he confessed “but uh Alex does”

“Oh”

“Oh? What does ‘oh’ mean?”

“Michael, are you sure about this?” She asked “sure you want to go down that road again?”

“I still love him, Iz”

“I know… but-”

“No, I  _ still love him _ . I never stopped and… I… I want him to know that”

“And dressing in a ridiculous costume is your way of saying it?”

He sighed.

“You don’t get it and that’s okay” Michael said to her “but  _ Alex  _ loves this movie; he’s constantly humming the songs and every date night we had consisted of us watching it or making out while watching it”

“Michael-”

“I just… need him to know that I paid attention; that I remember the things that matter to him”

She slowly nodded her head in understanding but a part of her was worried too. Michael and Alex were in very different places and had been for some time. The last thing she wanted was for her brother to get hurt again.

Michael grabbed his hat and picked up his cane.

“How do I look?” He asked.

“Ridiculous” she replied “but isn’t that the entire point of Halloween?”

***

They arrived within minutes of each other and their eyes immediately locked. Years of bitterness filled them both as they each stared at the other from across the parking lot. They moved closer and closer until they reached the door of the bar and stopped just shy of each other.

They both eyed the other very suspiciously. Michael in his costume and Kyle in his.

“Bold choice for you, Guerin” Kyle said.

“It’s Halloween” Michael stated “some people put in more effort than others”

“It's not the effort… but the sentiment behind the costume”

“James Dean isn’t a costume; he was a person”

“I’m  _ not  _ James Dean and like you can talk, Barnam was a person”

“ _ This  _ is a fictionalization of him so it doesn’t count”

Kyle shook his head in disbelief but couldn’t deny he was rattled. He hadn’t been living under a rock all this time, he  _ knew  _ how much Alex adored that particular movie. 

Some nights he could still hear Alex’s heartbreaking rendition of ‘This is Me’ which had brought tears to his eyes. He cursed himself; he  _ should’ve  _ thought of it himself but no he’d decided to play the childhood card and he could see Guerin sizing him up.

“So if you’re not James Dean…?” Michael started.

“You can’t figure it out?” Kyle turned smug “guess you don’t know Alex’s taste after all”

The smug smile vanished when Michael grabbed him by the front of his jacket and glared at him. They stared into each other’s eyes, gazed fixed hard for they both knew what the other was doing here and why they were dressed the way they were.

Kyle broke free of Michael’s grasp, turned on his heel and stormed into the bar. Michael was right behind him. They stepped inside and both immediately scanned the crowd, looking for Alex who was dancing with Liz.

The two men turned and looked at each other. For a brief second, they understood each other. A simple nod was their own way of saying ‘may the best man win’.

Kyle moved towards the bar; Michael approached from the opposite direction. Maria made for Kyle’s direction and complimented his choice of costume.

“Hoping to find your very own Sandy?” She asked him “because those two women over by the door are absolutely checking you out”

“That’s nice but uh I already have my eye on someone”

“Oh yeah?” Her attention was piqued.

“Yeah” Michael joined them. “He’s got his eye on my man”

“Last I saw, he wasn’t yours” Kyle snapped.

“That’s true” Maria nodded towards the dancefloor and they turned around to see Alex dancing with a sexy fireman. “He’s already danced with a police officer and a cowboy… I think all the village people actually”

“Any serious contenders?” Michael asked her.

“Oh please” Kyle hissed.

“Excuse me, Valenti?”

“Alex has better taste than the likes of you, no matter how you dress yourself”

“You forget, he and I have an actual connection… a history of being together”

“Being together then breaking up… rinse and repeat… if your  _ connection  _ was so strong, he wouldn’t be slutting it up on the dancefloor right now”

“At least  _ I  _ didn’t spend how many years calling him names, shoving him into lockers… I may be his ex right now but I was  _ never  _ his high school bully”

Kyle could feel the anger building inside him. He knew Michael was just trying to get a rise out of him and he had to keep his cool but Michael’s words hurt because they were true. He  _ had  _ been undeniably cruel to Alex back then but he wasn’t that stuck up jerk anymore. He’d grown up and had definitely seen the error of his ways. If he could take it all back he would but he couldn’t, all he could do was focus on the present and the future and swear to continue trying to be a better person.

His costume may have felt like a mask but all he wanted was to remind Alex of their earliest childhood memories. Kyle didn’t remember the first time they’d seen the movie but it had quickly become Alex’s go to film. As kids they’d learned the dances and the dialogue, even all the very adult lines they were completely oblivious to in their youth.

Late one night as they lie on the floor of the cabin, watching the movie and singing along, Kyle had confessed to wanting to be a T-Bird one day. Alex had accidentally said he wanted to be with one. Kyle hadn’t thought anything of it, thinking he’d just misheard him. Jesse had happened in the room at the time and the following morning Kyle had seen Alex sporting a black eye which he’d claimed to have gotten when he’d gone to the bathroom during the night and accidentally walked into the door.

Kyle just wanted to give Alex his childhood fantasy.

“No, you just hooked up with his best friend and broke his heart” Kyle snapped “left him hanging then turned your back on him”

“That is  _ none _ of your business”

Kyle reached up and grabbed hold of Michael’s hand which was still clinging to his jacket. They glared into each other’s eyes.

“Alex is my friend; his happiness  _ is  _ my business” he replied through gritted teeth.

“Like  _ you _ could ever make him happy”

“I’d do a damn better job than  _ you  _ ever did”

Maria was signaling the bouncer before either could throw a punch so each of them only had the chance to get in one or two punches before they were separated. The burly bouncer managed to get them into a headlock, one under each arm and he manhandled them all the way outside and tossed them into the parking lot. Maria hurried after them.

“Hey, what gives?” Michael shouted.

“I told you, no more brawls in my bar, Guerin” Maria hissed.

“I barely even touched him… I didn’t even get  _ one  _ drink!” He argued.

“So you’re slipping”

Kyle was just embarrassed at being thrown out of a bar for fighting with Michael Guerin of all people. He eased his tone as he moved closer to Maria.

“Please tell me Alex didn’t see that?” He begged. He really didn’t want to have to explain any of this to him.

“You’re both in luck, he didn’t see” Maria said.

“Oh thank God” Kyle sighed with relief.

“Wait, how do you know he didn’t see that?” Michael asked with a frown.

“He left” she told them.

“What?” Michael gasped.

“When?” Kyle asked.

“Right before Guerin threw the first punch” she continued. “He was on his way out the door as Doug here came in to separate you two”

Kyle sighed; he didn’t know if he should feel disappointed or relieved. Alex hadn’t witnessed their very childish fight but nor had he seen either of their costume choices. Perhaps dressing up wasn’t the way to win Alex’s heart.

“Did he leave with the cowboy?” Michael asked.

“He left with his date” she replied.

“His date?” Kyle gasped.

“The sexy fireman? His name’s Forest; he works at the shelter where Alex adopted Buffy”

Both Kyle and Michael exchanged an awkward look. Maria folded her arms across her chest and glared at them both.

“Frankly I’m ashamed and embarrassed” she said “the two of you fighting over a guy who’s already taken”

“We didn’t know-” Kyle argued.

“Exactly! You both claim to want to be with him yet neither of you even know what’s happening in his life; that he’s seeing a really nice guy and things are going well for them… he’s  _ happy _ , okay?”

Michael scowled; Kyle sighed in disappointment. He’d definitely distanced himself from Alex in recent weeks from fear of saying something to let slip how he felt… and he’d waited too long. Alex had found someone else.

He looked up and noticed Michael appeared to be having the same realization.

“Well” Michael said with a sigh “Deluca has kicked us out and Alex is… unavailable for the evening… I guess there’s only one option for us now”

“I don’t want to hear it” Kyle snapped.

“Chill, I was just gonna say nothing else left to do but for us to have sex now”

“And on that note, I’m going back to work” Maria said “I don’t want to see either of you in my bar again tonight”

She turned and walked away; Kyle called an apology after her then turned to glare at Michael.

“She said he’s happy” Kyle said sadly.

“The fireman  _ was  _ pretty hot” Michael agreed.

“I want him to be happy”

“So do I”

“But happy with  _ me _ ”

“I wanted to find a way to make him happy; I guess removing myself from his life was what he needed”

“He did love you, Guerin, I think a part of him always will”

“If only that were enough”

“Come on, let’s go to Saturn’s Ring” Kyle said “first drink is on me”

“Awesome” Michael replied.

“But I’m still not having sex with you; not tonight; not ever”

“Man, you’re such a  _ bully _ ”

“Do you want that drink or not?”

“Yeah, trust me, I need it… we both do”


End file.
